How to Find the Hidden Files on Your Phone or Computer (2024)

Your phones and computers hold more than you might realize. The files that you can view by default on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are by no means everything that's stored on those systems.

These hidden files are typically used by the operating system and the applications you're running to store data that you don't normally need access to—indeed, data that can interfere with the smooth running of your device if it's edited in the wrong way or deleted.

User settings and app configurations are often saved as hidden files, for example. Programs need these files to run, but users don't really need access to them. Hidden file caches are common as well, temporary stores of data to speed up software operations.

This guide comes with a warning then—you edit or delete hidden files from your devices at your own risk, and you really shouldn't have to do anything with these files anyway.

Viewing them can be useful, though, in terms of troubleshooting problems you might be having with your phone or laptop, or for trying to work out exactly where all your digital storage space has got to. Here's how to make these files visible.

Windows

Some Windows files are more hidden than others.

Screenshot: David Nield via Microsoft

You can view hidden files on Windows by opening up a File Explorer window, switching to the View tab on the ribbon bar, and checking the Hidden items box. Windows will remember your choice until you uncheck the box again, even if you close down File Explorer or reboot your computer.

How to Find the Hidden Files on Your Phone or Computer (2024)

FAQs

How do I find hidden files on my phone or computer? ›

How to Find Hidden Files on Android
  1. Open your File Manager.
  2. Click "Menu," and then "Settings."
  3. Scroll to the "Advanced" section, and enable "Show hidden files."
  4. Then, all of the hidden files will be viewable and accessible.
  5. Go to the Gallery app on your Android device.
  6. Click on the "Gallery Menu."
  7. Choose "Settings."
Jul 20, 2023

How do I see all hidden files? ›

Select View > Options > Change folder and search options. Select the View tab and, in Advanced settings, select Show hidden files, folders, and drives and OK.

How do I find hidden items on my computer? ›

Select the Start button, then select Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization. Select Folder Options, then select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, select Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and then select OK.

How do I view transferred hidden files from phone to PC? ›

  1. To view transferred hidden files from your phone to your PC, you'll first need to make sure that your PC is set to show hidden files. ...
  2. 1> Open File Explorer.
  3. 2> Click on the “View” tab at the top of the window.
  4. 3> In the “Show/hide” section, check the box next to “Hidden items. “
Aug 18, 2016

Can I see my phone files on my computer? ›

With a USB cable, connect your device to your computer. On your device, tap the "Charging this device via USB" notification. Under "Use USB for," select File Transfer. A file transfer window will open on your computer.

How do I find my secret folder? ›

View files in your Safe folder
  1. On your Android device, open the Files by Google app .
  2. Scroll to "Collections."
  3. Tap Safe folder. To view your files: If PIN is set: Enter your PIN, tap Next. If Pattern is set: Draw your pattern.

Where can I find deleted hidden files? ›

Go to the File Manager and open the Settings menu. Head to the "Advanced" options, and you will see the Show Hidden Files option. Toggle the bar to apply the changes to the Settings, and all the hidden files inside the storage will be displayed. Now, you can easily access the files that were inaccessible before.

What is the code to show hidden files? ›

After opening CMD, navigate to the directory where you wish to search for hidden files by typing " cd [path to your directory] " and press Enter. Now type dir /a:h and press Enter in the terminal window to display a list of all hidden files in the current directory.

How do I find hidden app data? ›

How to Find the AppData Folder
  1. Open Control Panel. ...
  2. Select File Explorer Options. ...
  3. Select the View tab of the File Explorer Options window.
  4. Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives. ...
  5. Now, you can browse File Explorer for the AppData folder like you would any directory.

How can I see the files on my phone? ›

Find & open files
  1. Open your device's Files app . Learn where to find your apps.
  2. Your file categories will show.
  3. To sort by name, date, or size, tap a file category More. Sort by.
  4. To open a file, tap it.

How do I find hidden searches on my computer? ›

Step 1: Open a Command Prompt (Administrator), by searching it in the search box. Step 2: Type the command ipconfig /displaydns to see a DNS cache history. Step 3: Now you can see the detailed information about websites that were recently visited and didn't show up in history.

How do I open hidden desktop? ›

Your desktop icons may be hidden. To view them, right-click the desktop, select View, and then select Show desktop icons.

How do I find hidden users on my computer? ›

Open a Command Prompt window as administrator. Type in the command: net user, and then press Enter key so that it will display all user accounts existing on your Windows 10, including the disabled and hidden user accounts. They are arranged from left to right, top to down.

Where is hidden folder Android? ›

Open the file manager app. Turn on 'Show hidden files' in 'Settings. ' Go to the folder location to see them.

How do I find my secret folder on Android? ›

View files in your Safe folder
  1. On your Android device, open the Files by Google app .
  2. Scroll to "Collections."
  3. Tap Safe folder. To view your files: If PIN is set: Enter your PIN, tap Next. If Pattern is set: Draw your pattern.

How do I show hidden files in Finder? ›

View Hidden Files in Finder

In Finder, click your hard drive under Locations, then open your Macintosh HD folder. Press Command + Shift + . (period) to make the hidden files appear. You can also do the same from inside the Documents, Applications, and Desktop folders.

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